Benign Acute Childhood Myositis: Evaluation of Clinical and Laboratory Features

Objective: Benign acute childhood myositis (BACM) is a self-limiting condition often following viral upper respiratory infections, manifesting with leg pain, difficulty walking, and muscle tenderness.Although the symptoms are distressing, BACM typically resolves without specific treatment, and the prognosis is generally good.This study evaluates the clinical presentation and laboratory findings of 14 pediatric BACM cases to better understand their features and facilitate differentiation from serious neurological conditions like Guillain-Barr syndrome. What this study adds?The study retrospectively analyzed 14 pediatric BACM cases in a 3-month period at Ordu University, Turkey.This can be considered a high number for a threemonth period.This study retrospectively analyzed 14 pediatric cases of BACM within a 3-month period at a university hospital in Turkey.This represents a notably high case count for such a short timeframe.In previous comprehensive studies conducted in Turkey, an average of 7 to 12 BACM cases over a 3-month period has been reported in major tertiary care centers.The relatively high number of cases in our study can be attributed to the fact that the data collection period coincided with the peak season of viral respiratory infections in our region.Seasonal clustering of viral infections is a wellknown trigger for BACM, and these findings emphasize the importance of increased clinical awareness during such periods.85.7% were male, which is a higher male predominance than typically reported.Neutrophilto-lymphocyte ratio (NLR) values were low/normal, consistent with viral etiology.We did not encounter any other studies in the literature specifically investigating NLR values in BACM cases.